


Falling For You

by nomenclature



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elves, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 21:18:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5601358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nomenclature/pseuds/nomenclature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Intelligent and curious Benjamin Tallmadge makes the daring decision to leave behind his gorgeous home of the high elves in search of answers and adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Arlennil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arlennil/gifts).



> This is my Christmas gift to tumblr user arlennil! I'm super sorry this is a week late! I hope it isn't too much of a disappointment since I made you wait for it. I'll be continuing the story since there are a lot of unanswered questions and I actually enjoyed writing it! Also because it was taking too long and I wanted you to know I hadn't forgotten about you!

The morning sun had begun to glow over the white mountains. Lighting up the hidden path through the towering trees. Fresh snow covered the forest floor, softly crunching bellow Ben's leather boots. His long sturdy legs carried him with quiet precision, never slipping on a patch of ice, never snapping a twig. It was the gift of his people, the agile swiftness of a highborn elf. 

His breath came in silent puffs of steam in the chilled winter air as a hint of exhaustion settled over. In the dead of night he had slipped out of the gated city. It took weeks to plan, to be sure he wouldn't fail in his attempt to escape. He was leaving behind the high stone walls of his home, and the security within. He was a scholar, a master of languages. His place was half a days walk back in the opposite direction. But his heart wouldn't allow him to stay, not when there were thousands of other high elves just like him, and adventure and intrigue beckoned.

For seven months and fourteen days only a select few were allowed to travel in and out of Setauos. In the beginning Benjamin hadn't questioned the law, every so often for their safety the border had closed. Only, in this instant he had yet to find a sufficient answer as to what they were keeping out. That's when he began his planned escape. Ben trusted his gut enough to put his family's name at risk, to put his noble position at risk. He estimated he had at least a full day before someone came to realize he was gone. It wasn't unusual for Ben to be consumed by a mountain of books in a hidden corner of the Grand Library. Though an associate may wonder at his absence of a lecture or lesson. 

Ben opened and closed his fists to keep his fingers from going numb. Despite the carefully crafted fur-linen gloves, the bitter cold was seeping through. While lost in thought he nearly missed the tracks clearly imprinted off to his right, the creature steered off Ben's chosen path going deeper into the underbrush. Ben looked behind in worry of someone tracking him, knowing he should keep on, but curiosity made him follow the fresh prints instead. 

Benjamin glided over the forest floor, a new found silence to the way he moved. Through icicles and bushes onto the edge of a frozen lake Ben stilled, his breath momentarily caught as he observed the most beautiful stag he'd ever seen. At least ten feet tall and as white as winter, with antlers coated in frost in an intricate tangle of bone, there it stood staring across the lake at something Ben could not see. He could feel the magical aura radiating off the proud beast. He had heard of such a creature in legend, though it had been nearly five hundred years since anyone had gazed upon _Fýlakas tou Vorrá_ , the Guardian of the North.

Something clicked in Ben, a sort of knowing, knowing that he was meant to be out here. For why else would he encounter _Fýlakas tou Vorrá_ , the wisest of creatures known to the high elves. 

In a blink the stag had turned its head towards Ben, looking directly at his hidden spot among the foliage. He suddenly felt guilty, hiding and spying on something so magnificent was wrong, it wasn't truly an animal, it was an intelligent spirit. Ben revealed himself to the stag, bowing in apology and in greeting. When he looked up the Guardian of the North was gone. 

Benjamin sucked in a sharp breath, eyes fluttering in surprise and disappointment. _Gone_. The where and how didn't make sense, the stag was enormous but couldn't be seen, and not a sound had given away its departure. Staring out across the snow covered valley a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, it wasn't everyday he ventured out of his beautiful city into the frigid mountains and found a legend in the flesh. 

The lake he now stood on was free of tracks, including the stag's and his own. Ben glanced at the sun, keeping it on his left, he decided to continue his trek over the lake. After a half an hour of walking across the flat surface Ben spotted land on the other side. He stepped up his pace, feeling overly exposed on the wide lake. Within minutes he could see the red of berries, a sweet helping would warm him instantly, if only momentarily. 

Dark movement on land caught his attention, as a man came out of the underbrush. With Ben's unexpected focus on the stranger not even his keen elvish senses warned him of the thinning ice. It wasn't until he heard the cracking sound beneath his feet that he realized how much green was showing on the trees behind the stranger. 

_Fool_ , he cursed to himself, _distracted damned fool_. 

Ben took a careful step back, sure the ice was thicker behind him. He was greeted by another gut-wrenching _crack_ echoed throughout the valley, halting him in his attempt for safety. Water was spilling onto his already soggy boots, as Ben practiced steady breathing looking for a patch of solid ice. With freezing water pooling on top of the unsteady ice and a stranger on the only bit of land roughly twenty five feet away Ben needed a plan. Going back didn't ensure his safety, although the edge of the melting lake was ever so close the trip there wouldn't be easy if even possible. 

"Don't try going back," The man across the treacherous lake called in a heavily accented voice. Ben looked up from where he was scoping out a possible safe route. 

"You need to move slowly, and carefully," The man instructed, removing his gray knit cap. "Now." 

Ben hesitated only a second before focusing on every ounce of grace he possessed then slid his foot forward. Water continued to ooze between fractures in the ice, only helping the melting process. Four slow paces forward and the ice held under the pressure of his weight. Ben looked up, giving the stranger a faint smile of relief. The frowning man didn't return the gesture. 

Soon enough Ben was fifteen feet from land, enough to make out the features of the stranger. A wood elf by the looks of his short stature and large ears pointing outwards instead of up like Ben's. Woodland elves were known to be generous people, which Ben took as another good sign, more relief settled over him as he adjusted his weight to his front leg. 

As he leaned ever so slightly forward the ice opened up beneath, causing Ben to fall thigh deep into the painfully cold water. Wincing at the shocking temperature, with only one leg submerged he struggled to upright himself. Shifting to pull himself up from off his hands and knees set the ice tumbling out from under Ben all together. 

Water so cold it burned filled his eyes and lungs as his heavy furs and knapsack pulled him beneath the ice. Opening his eyes made him want to scream but he kept searching for the hole he had created when he fell. Untangling himself from his coat he kicked and kicked, hands outstretched reaching blindly for safety. 

He felt only the smooth surface of ice and saw only darkness. 

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, his lungs ached, Ben was so cold he could barely move. As he felt himself succumb to drowning he didn't feel the tranquility often spoken of when one dies.

 

____________________________________________________________ 

Someone had stuffed sharp rocks down his throat and he struggled to remove them, wondering why he could barely think and why he hadn't stopped the attacker, Ben struggled to gain control. 

Suddenly his eyes opened as torrents of ice water spilled from his mouth in heaping haggard coughs. He was shivering violently, his whole body shaking, his teeth chattering incessantly. Ben looked up through squinted eyes and saw the wood elf loom above him, knife in hand. Before he could do anything Ben blacked out again.

The second time he awoke next to a fire, and warmth against his skin. The shivering had died down to a subtle discomfort. Though he didn't feel like he could move even if he wanted to. Ben watched the flames dance against the dark sky, ashes floating up to mingle with the stars. It was a clear night, there wouldn't be any fresh snow to help cover his tracks. At once Ben's mind cleared at the thought. He wasn't home and he hadn't drowned either. 

Ben bolted up, wool blanket falling off his bare chest, ignoring the cold he found himself inches away from the wood elf with intense eyes. The man shared his blanket, his shirt untied down the front revealing a toned pale chest. Ben's mind fumbled over which words to say before quickly putting together the situation.

"You must still be freezing, you're red all over." The man moved closer carefully as if not to startle Ben. Though he was a bit chilled he instinctively scooted back.

"I-" His throat burned with the simple word. The man leaned across Ben, his torso against Ben's legs as he reached for a waterskin at the foot of the fire. "Careful," The man said handing it to him. Ben shot him a look, he wasn't incompetent. Even though Ben knew his throat was sore the first sip of warm water felt grating going down, but he was thankful for the warmth. He waited a moment before drinking some more, finally content with the soreness, he tried to speak again.

"I owe you my life," he began sincerely. "You don't know me at all and yet," Ben blinked a few times, looking into the fire. "Yet you risked your life for me." Finally he looked back at the elf. "Thank you ever so much." 

The man nodded. "You're welcome." He let out a breathy laugh, running a hand through mousy brown hair. "It wasn't any fun, you should know." 

Ben stared quizzically at him, a lopsided grin spread on his face. "Ben, my name is Benjamin Tallmadge." He said, holding out his hand with added effort. The wood elf shook his hand firmly. "Abraham, just Abraham." 

Ben lifted an eyebrow. "Just Abraham?" 

"Abe, if you prefer." 

After eating a small meal in silence as both men tried to regain their strength Ben found sitting up to be too exhausting. Before he went to lie down he remembered he was without most of his clothing. By the fire he saw his undershirt and white and gold tunic, sodden boots, and ripped trousers along with clothes that weren't his. All of his other clothing were no where to be seen, Ben groaned, his winter clothes were missing. 

"I had to cut most of it off, you would have got frostbite or worse, froze completely." Abe said, tying up his shirt. "Lucky for you, again, thanks to me, I carry my entire wardrobe." With one shirt between them Ben didn't find that all impressive. 

"I suppose you were also wearing your entire wardrobe when you went in for me," Abe looked up, a smile interrupting his serious expression. Ben couldn't help himself from smiling back. He had lived through the most bizarrely interesting if not slightly painful and terrifying day of his life. 

Staring at the bright North Star Ben had the sinking realization that he had spent the entirety of a day recovering from his fall. A whole day of travel wasted because of his inattentive behavior. He would need to leave first thing at sunrise, although he'd slept for hours he felt as tired as if he'd been sprinting all day.

"How did you do it?" Ben found himself asking. 

"Hm? Do what?" Abe sniffed, pulling his knit cap over his pointed ears.

"How did you manage to find me under the ice? In that matter, how did you drag me out?" Ben tried to figure the way in which someone Abe's size could even lift Ben when he was fully unconscious and drenched head to toe. 

"I don't remember, it all happened too fast, it's a blur, really." Abe said before lying down with his back towards Ben. 

He rolled his eyes at the obviously false answer. "The truth, please." An edge to his voice as he stared at Abe awaiting a response. 

Abe was still and silent for a few minutes. Just as Ben was beginning to worry that he had fallen asleep Abe turned to look at him, a defensive fierceness in his cool blue eyes.

"Magic."

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to base it off of things you said you liked, Ben/Abe, Fantasy AU, that one scene when Ben falls into the Delaware lol  
> Hopefully it isn't too obscure or out of character, it was my first time trying out Turn fic so I'm super sorry if you didn't like it!
> 
>  
> 
> Sidenote: 'Fýlakas tou Vorrá' is what google translated into Latin for me so I have no idea if it even says Guardian of the North


End file.
